Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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454. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary schools that do not have suitable outdoor space for students for break times and other outdoor learning. [16585/25]

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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455. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of post-primary schools that do not have suitable outdoor space for students for break times and other outdoor learning. [16586/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 454 and 455 together.

Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998 the board of management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school and the principal is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school, including arrangements for co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. While the decision to become involved in organised school sports is a matter for each school, all schools are required to deliver physical education (PE) as part of the curriculum.

Under the Primary School Curriculum, the current PE curriculum provides a balanced range of activities for children through six strands namely athletics, dance, gymnastics, games, outdoor and adventure activities, and aquatics. Through the new Primary Curriculum Framework, published in March 2023, the suggested minimum curriculum time for Wellbeing, which includes PE, has increased: junior infants to senior infants will increase from 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours per week; first to sixth class will increase from 1.5 hours to 3 hours per week. The new Primary Wellbeing curriculum, which includes PE is currently under development by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.

At Junior Cycle, schools develop their programme of study based on the physical activity areas of: health related activity; athletics; adventure; aquatics; dance; gymnastics; and games. School are required to provide a minimum of 135 hours of timetabled PE over three years of Junior Cycle, as part of the 400 hours of wellbeing. There are two options for PE at Senior Cycle – Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE), which is an examinable subject, and the Senior Cycle Physical Education (SCPE) Framework which is non- examinable.

In LCPE, students learn about the different theoretical perspectives through their engagement in different physical activities. Each activity must be selected from one of six distinct physical activity areas, these areas are: Athletics; Artistic and Aesthetic Activities; Adventure Activities; Games; Aquatics; and Personal Exercise and Fitness. LCPE is designed to be taught in approximately 180 hours over two years.

The SCPE Framework provides a flexible planning tool for physical education for all students in senior cycle. Learners can be encouraged to undertake different roles and responsibilities, including leadership, coaching and officiating roles. They can learn to plan, organise, participate in and reflect on their experiences in physical activity. Schools are required to ensure that a double class period (totalling 80 minutes per week), or its equivalent, of Physical Education is timetabled for all senior cycle students.

Oide, the new Integrated Teacher Education Support Service, was launched on 1 September 2023. It promotes the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of Teacher Professional Learning and support for our physical education teachers. There are also a number of other funded initiatives such as the Physical Activity in Teaching and Learning Pilot Programme, and the Active School Flag (ASF) programme

Investment and expenditure on sports facilities in primary and post-primary schools is an element of the overall expenditure and investment in the School Building Programme. The provision of outdoor play areas form part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings or where a major building or refurbishment project is being delivered for an existing school.

Practically all schools have outdoor play areas, and many schools use adjacent local facilities, including community halls, public parks, playing fields and swimming pools. Learning experiences relating to the curriculum such as Athletics, Invasion Games and Adventure Activities can take place outdoors on tarmac. Nevertheless, my department is conducting a review of the current tarmacadam specification and is involving a number of schools in a trial of the use of polymeric and astro-turf surfaces.